Marriage = Spending Lots of Money

Apparently, when you decide to get married, you end up having to make all kinds of big purchases.

Okay, maybe you don't HAVE to, but it just ends up happening anyway. Since we've been engaged, we've purchased a new car, a new apartment (not cheap guys, not cheap), and then yesterday, we bought this:

It was a screaming deal that we just couldn't pass up (thank you Ashley Furniture Homestore Liquidation Sale). We've been looking at sectionals for a few weeks now, just kinda getting an idea of what we wanted and prices, etc. So last night we decided to just pop down to Ashley and see what they had going on there. We weren't going with the intention of buying. But then we saw this, and we saw the price, and we just couldn't pass it up. And guess what? It was a package deal that also came with:

This table set.

This rug.

This throw.

This set of lamps.

And this set of accessories.

I  mean, right?! Just couldn't pass that up. Now we just need to sell a bunch of our old furniture. Should be fun.

And now we just can't wait until August 16th when this will all be delivered. And then we'll be able to hang pictures and take photos to share. :-)

The New Digs

If you're ever thinking about moving in the middle of Summer, probably don't go through with it. Just a little word of wisdom from someone who's been there.

Devon and I are in the middle of moving into our new place - the place we will live in for at least the first year of our marriage. Or rather, I guess I should say, I'm in the middle of moving. Devon doesn't have to move his stuff in until right before the wedding in the end of August. It's so exciting! But, being mid-July and all, it's like 9,000 million degrees outside, which makes the act of carrying heavy things and going up and down three flights of stairs repeatedly, kind of a sweaty business.

Guys, I'll just say it. It's hot out thur! Like, really hot. And muggy.

Yesterday was the first day we could start moving me into our new place (since my lease at my current apartment is up at the end of July). I was so excited I could barely handle it. Devon and I spent a couple days last weekend packing and throwing away a bunch of my things so that we could start bringing loads up (we're moving from South Orem to Draper, about 30 minutes North and closer to both of our works) to the new place in shifts. So, yesterday around 4:00, I got brave (or maybe over-zealous is the better word) and decided to pack my car up and meet Devon at the new place after work.

But here's the thing, I'm just little and I can only carry 1-2 boxes at a time and I live on the 3rd floor. After two trips, I had to go change into basketball shorts, a hat, and t-shirt and even then it was a sticky business. It took me 45 minutes to pack my car up with things and I was red faced and lethargic by the end. That's what you get when you decide to move in the Summer.

But having the key to our new place made it all worth it. We unloaded my car and started unpacking everything that we could and Devon was just in awe. He kept walking around the empty apartment saying in hushed, amazed tones, "Babe, this is our place." "Babe, this is OUR place. Like, we're going to live here...both of us!" Haha. It was pretty precious. I think reality was starting to set in for him.

That's one of the fun experiences about being engaged. Every week or so you have a new experience that makes the prospect of actually being married become that much more real. Maybe you finish sending out your wedding invitations and you think to yourself, "Welp, there's no turning back now!" (Not that you ever would.) Or maybe it's the moment when you can finally say, "I'm getting married...next month! Holy, when did it get to be one month away?!" Whatever it is, you have a little surreal moment and a "woooooah" thought in your head, and then you smile to yourself because you really can't wait.

And then you start moving into your new place where you'll start your life together and you take in its glorious 2 bedroom-ness with the huge walk-in closets, or the electric, flat-topped stove in the kitchen, or the incredible laundry room with all those extra cabinets and a place for folding clothes and you think... in 6 weeks, this will officially all be for US.

So anyway, I bet you want to see pictures, don't you? Good, because I'm about to show you (pictures are all including the previous tenant's stuff, so don't let that throw you off). Will post real pictures when we're all moved in and set up.

Outside of the house. We will live in the above-ground basement. 

Front Door.

View from front door.

Entry way to living room, looking down the hall to the kitchen.

Kitchen/Dining room.

Jack - and - Jill Bathroom.

Master Bedroom.

Second Bedroom - Like I said, last people's stuff. NOT OURS.

And the living room. 

Moving recommences (and hopefully finishes) this Saturday. Wish us luck in this crazy triple digit heat!

The First.

Maybe it's weird to start a "together" blog before you're officially married. But then again, maybe it isn't.

Either way, since neither of our lives will be much about ourselves anymore so much as about "us," doing this now seems like a completely normal, maybe even fun, thing to do.

To start off, I would usually start at the beginning and write about how we met, what got us to start dating, how we fell in love, and all that fun stuff that nobody everybody really wants to read about, but let's be honest, I'm at work right now... "technically" it's my lunch break, but this lunch break wont be long enough to tell you everything. So, here's the very condensed story of us:

We met.

We started dating much later.

We took a little break.

Then we started dating again.

We grew to love each other.

We got engaged.

And now we're getting married soon. No, I don't know the exact day count... I can't be bothered with numbers until they are much lower and simpler to remember. I just know that it's soon. And we are so excited.

For an in-depth account of how he popped the question, click here.

And now for a bunch of our favorite engagement pictures:
(special thanks to Aria Photography for making our engagement photo dreams come true)